May 15, 2023 - Employees at the Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine had to keep a pretty big secret last week. Country music artist and West Virginia native Brad Paisley was in town filming a music video.

The award-winning musician was in the New River Gorge region of Fayette County on Wednesday of last week before making his way south to Raleigh County. Employees say Paisley was at the mines last Thursday night filming underground after hours.

It was his first time being inside a coal mine!

Leslie Baker, Director of Parks and Recreation for the City of Beckley, praised Paisley for his willingness to learn more about the state’s ties to coal and shared that some of her employees may even find themselves in the spotlight.

“He [Paisley] was so interested, so very interested, and my coal miners, you know, they’re just so authentic and have so much to tell...they had a couple of really good sit-downs, and they liked my miners- the miners so much at the Exhibition Coal Mine that the director even came back to do some more footage with just the miners underground.”

Baker also tells WVVA that Paisley signed the mine’s new motor before he left. His album, “Sons of the Mountains,” is set to release later this year.